Long Juan Mei Zhan

Information

Origine: Fu Jian province
Harvesting area: Long Juan Village
Plantation altitude: ~800 above sea level
Harvesting: Autumn 2024
Tea varietal: Mei Zhan

Mei Zhan, small-leaf, semi-arbor cultivar native to Anxi. Tall in form and steady in temperament, Meizhan grows more layered with age — its depth unfolding, year by year.

Though born in Anxi, Meizhan has since traveled far — reaching Wuyi and beyond, appearing in many forms: oolong, rock tea, red tea, even green. Yet it is within oolong that Meizhan speaks most fluently — across both northern and southern Fujian styles, each offering its own expression.

This particular Meizhan is grown on its ancestral land: Anxi. Scattered along the periphery of our Longjuan tea garden, these bushes predate the widespread planting of Tieguanyin. They were planted by my partner’s grandparents over sixty years ago. Now deeply rooted and richly branched, they continue to sprout with quiet persistence.

Personally, I believe Meizhan needs ample roast to express itself fully — medium-strong to strong fire works best. Under proper roasting, its character becomes more defined, its fragrance more refined. The integrity of the cultivar is not lost in the fire — it is distilled by it.

The “Mei” in Meizhan refers to the plum blossom, not the fruit. Cultivars with plum blossom aroma are rare — Meizhan leads the list, followed perhaps only by Shui Jin Gui from Wuyi.

To me, this infusion is plum blossom embodied. The fragrance doesn’t hover above the cup — it sinks into the water, unfolding gently. Floral, but not fragile. “Mei,” but not sour — rather, it carries a quiet strength and composure.

The dry leaves already offer a layered scent: first, a wisp of charcoal roast; then, the cooling clarity of preserved fruit; rounded by caramel, a light milkiness, and the sweetness of dried sweet potato. Through it all, a thread of dry plum blossom weaves in. On closer inhale, you might catch a soft tang — like the gently tart finish of yangmei (Chinese bayberry)